Friends and Lovers (1931)

Very well executed

Brilliant and touching

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Apparently Maurice Dekobra was a prolific writer français, and had numerous works turned into short and full length films. and is still having his works made into films, even though he croaked in 1973 ! The always-debonair Adolphe Menjou is Captain Roberts, and when caught with the wife of prominent Sangrito (Stroheim), makes a payoff to him rather than fight a duel. and of course Hugh Herbert is in here for comedic effect. Lili Damiti is Sangrito's wife, and it turns out they have played this blackmail game before. But this time she doesn't want the money... she wants the Roberts, the lover. Damita herself had quite a life-story, according to wikipedia; married to Hollywood big-shots Michael Curtiz, then Errol Flynn. and her journalist son disappeared in Cambodia in 1970, never to be found. In our film, a very young Laurence Olivier is the interloper, also falling for Madame Sangrito. The story is pretty simple; the sound quality isn't so good... keeps going up and down. a couple awkward edits. and that ending. so abrupt. were some scenes cut or did the book really end like that? was pretty good overall, but the ending kind of left me feeling cheated. Some clever editing... how they switch from showing the male lead showering to showing us the female lead showering, artfully blocked, of course. This was prior to the film code being enforced, so i'm sure part of that was just for the tingle factor. Directed by Victor Schertzinger, who had started out as a musician. This is an RKO shortie, at 68 minutes.

Despite my low rating I must admit to really enjoying this creaky melodrama. The vote is because it's all very formulaic, stilted and stiff. Concepts of love and honor reflect Victorian morality which in itself was utterly unrealistic or even very real. I suspect that even today some people might be shocked to find a woman in a man's bedroom after hours and icily ask her to leave the house even though they were fully clothed but such mastodons were and luckily still are few and far between. But I digress. In the film it was necessary to spur our protagonists into yet another display of manly brotherhood and selflessness and to bring this sad example of bad movie-making to its not altogether unpredictable conclusion.So what's to like? How can one not enjoy Adolphe Menjou, the epitome of the suave knave, paired off with Laurence Olivier in his fourth film, both doing their best with the weak material to steal their common scenes. It was delicious! Both were magnificent, both were divine and it was so much fun to watch. Especially memorable are the scenes where Olivier describes the cut of coat collar with a swoop of his hand that is pure Sir Laurence. And lets not forget Lili Damita who made up for her utter lack of talent by sensuously gliding through her scenes in her tight fighting, low-cut dresses, seemingly barely able to keep herself from devouring her next male victim.Oh what a fun way to spend 68 minutes!

Before the Production Code was strengthened and finally enforced starting in 1934, there were quite a few films that would surprise modern audiences with their colorful language, adult themes and wicked behavior. When I first started watching Pre-Code films, I was shocked with the nudity and discussion of topics such as abortion and adultery. Early into the film, it's obvious that FRIENDS AND LOVERS came out during this more open era. This is not only because of the rather sordid plot but because they show a lot of the leading lady as she showers and dresses--a scene that wasn't necessary to the film but just added a bit of cheesecake.Erich von Stroheim plays an odd role in this film. He is a cuckold of a husband BUT he likes when his wife commits adultery. That's because his routine is to then shake down the men--demanding payment for defiling his wife!! In a way, he's much more like a pimp than anything else--and far from the jealous husband or lover he often played in other films (such as THE GREAT GABBO and BLIND HUSBANDS). The wife is played by Lili Damita and you may remember her as the wife of Errol Flynn. As for the lovers, two are played by Adolphe Menjou and a very young Laurence Olivier--who, for a while, are having their way with Damita. This is complicated, as they are friends and are serving together in the military (though having the very American Menjou and the very British Olivier in the same army did seem like odd casting).When the two men realize that they are sharing DNA with Damita, they immediately are at each other's throats. Commanding officer Menjou sends Olivier off on a dangerous mission, but later realizes how horrible this is and gives chase--trying to catch up with the men sent out on maneuvers. Fortunately, Olivier is saved by Menjou and the two men seem reconciled.At the same time, von Stroheim and Damita have a horrible fight and von Stroheim is killed by a servant who does it to save her life. The men don't realize it, though, as they have both agreed to give her up and burn the letter she sends to tell them what happened to her husband.Time passes and Olivier and Menjou both attend a dinner party. Take a wild guess who is there--yes, in the movie world, this would be Damita. Both men vow that their love for each other will not allow them to have anything to do with her. Naturally, though, the audience knows that this won't lead to something good! Unfortunately, after such an excellent buildup, the final 15 minutes of the film just don't manage to work. Up until then, I'd have given the film a 7, but with the soggy and unbelievable conclusion, it earns a 6--barely.

Friends and Lovers was Sir Laurence Olivier's fourth film and first for an American studio in this case RKO. His first wife Jill Esmond was better known and RKO brought her over from the UK for a couple of films and Larry went along for the ride.He was also appearing on Broadway in Private Lives so his film work in general was an afterthought. Friends and Lovers was something that better been left undone though.I mean it is terrible, everyone in this drama is overacting completely especially the stage trained Olivier. Olivier was dismissive of all his film work before Wuthering Heights and he was hard on himself in something like Fire Over England. But here he was justified.The plot has Lili Damita apparently making a living at seducing men of property and then having husband Erich Von Stroheim show up and demand financial remuneration for his cuckolded pride. It's an upper crust English version of what we in the USA call the old badger game. Her latest victim is Captain Adolphe Menjou set to leave for the Indian frontier the next day.When Menjou arrives he finds out that an old army pal Laurence Olivier is to join him at the post. When Olivier arrives Menjou discovers he also was a victim and the friendship goes on the rocks. Friends and Lovers goes downhill from there. I suppose its Hollywood's idea about the British upper crust. The whole thing is rather silly from my point of view.I'm sure Erich Von Stroheim thought so too. He's guilty of the most overacting in the film. I think Von Stroheim thought he was taking advantage of the deficiencies of the script. Still the whole thing is pretty silly.Hugh Herbert is here also. Oddly enough with a fake Scot's burr, he's at the most restrained I've ever seen him as Menjou's orderly. A little 'woo woo' might enlivened the film a bit.Friends and Lovers is a curiosity for fans of the late Lord Olivier, anyone else be warned.